Lithuania-based charter company KlasJet, part of the Avia Solutions Group, recently had a hand in flying more than 1,200 guests from India to Europe for wedding ceremonies and celebrations. The wedding itself was covered by both local and national media in India, Europe and the US, and was one of the most high-profile marriages of the 21st century. Quality and dependability of air service was of paramount importance; clients could not rely on normal airline service so VIP private air charter service was essential.

For this wedding, KlasJet would use four of its aircraft and all of its charter experience to ensure logistical needs would not interrupt or detract from the celebration for the clients and their guests. In total, 28 flights were conducted on this mission.

“This was a massively important day for our client,” Petrauskas says. “This would normally be a very difficult mission for any company in the space, so it was important for us to use all of our resources to create the best experience for this wedding.”

The operation began one week before wheels left the tarmac, when KlasJet's fellow Avia Solutions Group company, Chapman Freeborn, received a charter request through one of its worldwide offices. The broker arranged for KlasJet to provide the aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance for the flights, given the distances and passenger count involved in the mission.

“Each uniquely modified and equipped aircraft was prepared for the mission and selected for customer needs,” Petrauskas continues. “We spent the week preparing everything so the day of the wedding ceremonies would go as smoothly as possible.”

One aircraft would remain in Europe, while the others would be used to transport passengers and cargo to and from India. Once the aircraft were ferried to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International airport in Mumbai where the flights began, they would require 46 crew members and several dozen permits.

Each take off and landing required coordination with airports and governments to ensure adequate permissions and flawless service on the day. All four aircraft had to arrive at the same location in Italy at around the same time. KlasJet coordinated with the airports, and with businesses at the airports, to ensure passengers would be welcomed and could continue onward to the wedding without the usual stress or confusion of arriving at an airport after an international flight.

Petrauskas adds: “Timing for the customers was paramount to the mission, and I'm happy they called on us, so we could use our expertise to organise the logistics in a manner that would allow them to enjoy the wedding.”